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THE PLAYERS: TPC Sawgrass 17th hole day 3 highlights

By Mike Randleman

May 11, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; General view of the Stadium Course signature hole the 17th, known simply as the Island Green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; General view of the Stadium Course signature hole the 17th, known simply as the Island Green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /
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2TPC Sawgrass played tough on Saturday. The famed 17th was no exception.

THE PLAYERS saw some weather on day 3. The storm front stayed south of TPC Sawgrass Saturday, sparing us from any stoppages at the third round but not from wind problems.

The intrepid field of 82 (now 71 after a secondary cut was made) were again required to take on a tougher-than normal 17th hole this year. Unpredictable wind gusts played tricks on players’ minds at the island green and elsewhere around the course.

Saturday was no different with a healthy breeze buffeting for a good part of the day.

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That made for hitting the 4,500 square foot floating target a tough task. Ten more water ball victims pushed the week’s total to 57.

Only 38 were dunked in 2016.

You might be thinking “isn’t one of the PGA Tour’s mottos” – These guys are good’?

Well, they were pretty good in flashes at No. 17. It played as the sixth easiest hole Saturday, a day after being second toughest..

Twenty-one guys made birdie and only two finished with worse than double bogey.

One of the more unlikely twos on the scorecard came from Seung-Yul Noh who sunk a 36-footer to help salvage a third-round 75.

The Defending Champ

Jason Day has navigated the 17th as safely as one could muster with five straight pars and a birdie dating back to 2016. He got off the par train by backing up a wedge from 129, a yardage in between 122 on Thursday and 147 Friday.

The defending PLAYERS champ coolly made the 13-footer and sits tied 20th at one-under and eight back.

Another Past Champ

Rickie Fowler is no stranger to playing well on the final stretch at TPC Sawgrass. No. 17 was part of his birdie binge on the way to winning the PLAYERS in 2015.

He had the right game plan in mind Saturday by throwing the ball past the cup and letting it spin back as close as possible. A good, safe shot set up a 21-footer that Fowler drained.

If it wasn’t for his closing seven on the par-4 18th, Fowler would have an outside shot to come back a la 2015. His strokes gained putting is 2.274 compared to a .871 field average. Alas, he’s at even par tied 25th.

Every birdie

Each day the PGA TOUR has been so kind to string together a video of birdies made at the island green that day. Here’s Saturday’s edition, kicked off by Bernd Wiesberger who used gravity to his advantage to have a kick-in birdie.

A Look Ahead

Sunday’s pin placement is expected to be in its usual position on 16 yards from the front and three from the right. The eventual tournament winner has made par or better on 17 four straight years. Dating back to 2008, Matt Kuchar in 2012 is the only winner that survived a bogey on the penultimate hole and still hung on to win.

Next: THE PLAYERS: Favorites blown out on day three

Going into Sunday, the 17th hole water ball count stands at 57. The field long ago passed Elizabeth Bethel’s bold prediction of 30 sacrifices to the 17th hole this year. Any bets on the final count when Sunday’s finished?

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